Unit 1 From "Animal Farm", By George Orwell

I

UNIT

1 From

"ANIMAL FARM",

by

GEORGEORWELL

1

Structure

,

.0

Objectives

1.1

Reading Comprehension

1.1.1

Study Guide

1.1.2

Passage for ReadingFrom George Orwell: Animal Farm

1.1.3

Note on the Author

1.1.4

Glossary

1.1.5

Comprehension QuestionsVocabulary

1.2.1

Words Having Related Meanings

1.2.2

Multiple Meanings

1.2.3

Word-FormationGrammar and Usage

1.3.1

Concord of Number and Person

1.3.2

TensesConversationPronunciation

1.5.1

Letters and Sounds

1.5.2

English Vowels

1.5.3

Word StressWritingLet Us Sum UpKey WordsSuggested ReadingAnswers to Exercises

1.0

OBJECTIVES

y

I

After completing the unit you should

be

able toread simple narrative passages with understanding;distinguish between certain words having related meanings;

.

distinguish between different meanings of certain words;use certain prefixes and suffixes to form words;

:

observe the rules of concord in the use of verbs;use the past indefinite. the past continuous and the present perfect tenses correctly;

.

take part in a conversation with a shopkeeper;guard against spelling pronunciation in English;use the correct vowel sounds in English words;say English words with correct stress patterns, andwrite

a

short composition presenting your views and supporting them with facts.

1.1

READING COMPREHENSION

I

.1.1

Study Guide

I

The aim of this section is to help you to read with understanding and to expand your vocabulary.

Writing

There is a reading passage from George Orwell's book. "Animal Farm", followed by a glossary. You

Listening

&

Speaking

Skills

should first read the whole passage silently and rapidly to get the main points. Then you should read itagain, carefally and at a slower pace, to get all the details. You should also consult the glossary for themeanings of words and phrases from the contents in which they occur.After you have read and understood the passage. you must answer all the comprehension questions. Youranswers should then be checked with the answers given by us at the end of the unit.

1.1.2 Passage

for

Reading

From

Animal Farm

By

George

Omell

1.

Mr. Jones, of the Manor

Farm,

had locked the hen-house for the night, but was too drunk toremember to shut the pop-holes. With the rung of light from his lantern dancing from side to side,he lurched across the yard, and made his way, up to bed, whereMrs.Jones was already snoring.

2.

As soon as the light 1n the bedroom went out, there was a stirring and a fluttering all through thefarm buildings. Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar,had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals.It had been agreed that they should meet in the big barn as soon as Mr. Jones was safely out ofthe way. Old Major was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose anhour's sleep in order to hear what he had to say.

3.

All the animals were now present except Moses, the tame raven, who slept on a perch behind theback door. When Major saw that they had all made themselves comfortable and were waitingattentively, he cleared his throat and began;'Comrades, you have heard already about the strange dream that I had last night, But I will cometo the dream later. I have somethii~g lse to say first, I do not think;comrades, that

I

shall be withyou for many months longer and before I die, I feel it my duty to pass on to you such wisdom as

I

have acquired. I have had a long life, have had much time for thought as I lay well alone in mystall, and I think I may say that I understand the nature of life on this earth as well as any animalnow living. It is ahout this that I wish to speak to you.'

4.

Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are miserable,laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in ourbodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength:and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are s1augh:ered with hideous cruelty.

5.

'Rut is this simply part of the order of nature? Is it because this land of ours is so poor that itcannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No, comrades, a thousand times no! Thissingle farm of ours would support a dozen horses, twenty cows, hundreds of sheep-and all of themliving in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining. Why then do wecontinue in this miserable condition?Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour isstolen from us by human beings. There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summedup in a single word-Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, andthe root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished forever.

4.

'Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not layeggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast errough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lordof all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that willprevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself. Our labour tills the soil, our dungfertilize it, and yet there is not one of us that owns more than his bare skin. You cows that I see

.

before me, how many thousands of gallons of milk have you given during the last year? And whathas happened to that milk which should have been breeding up ~turdy~calves?very drop of it hasgone down the throats of our enemies. And you hens, how many eggs have you laid this last year,and how many of those eggs ever hatched into chickens? The rest have all gone to market to bringin money for Jones and his men. And you, Clover, where are those four foals you bore, who should

'

have been the support and pleasure of your old age? Each was sold at a year old-you will neversee one of them again. In return for your four confinements and all your labour in the field, whathave you ever had except your bare rations and a stall?

7.

Is

it not

crystal clear,

then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyrannyof human beings? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost

-.

overnight we could become rich and free. what then must we do? Why, work night and day, body

Animal Farm

and soul, for the overthrow of the human race! That is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion: Ido not know when that Rebellion will come, it might be in a week or in a hundred years, but Iknow as surely as I see this straw beneath my feet, that sooner or later justice will be done. Fixyour eyes on that, comrades, throughout the short remainder of your lives. And above all, pass onthis message of mine to those who come after you, so that future generations shall cany on thestruggle until it is victorious.And remember, comrades, your resolution must never falter. No argument must lead you astray. Never

,

listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest, that the prosperity of theone is the prosperity of the others. It is all lies. Man serves the interests of no creature except himself.And among us animals let thke be perfect unity, perfect comradeship in the struggle. All men areenemies. All animals are comrades.

1.1.3 Note on the Author

George Orwell was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair (1903-SO), English novelist and essayist, who wasborn in India. He is known for his satirical novels, of which Animal Farm (1945) is one. It is anallegory on the Russian Revolution.A satire is a literary

work-&

novel, play, etc., which tries to show the foolishness or evil of someestablishment or practice

In

an amusing way.An allegory is a story in which the characters and action have a deeper moral meaning and representgood and bad qualities.

1.1.4 Glossary

(The numbers refer to the paragraphs in the reading passage)

1.

manor

:

a large house with land

ring

:

a circular band

lantern

:

a container that encloses the flame of a light

lurched

:

moved irregularly

yard

:

n enclosed area near a building

snoring

:

breathing heavily and noisily while asleep

2.

fluttering

:

moving the wing quickly without flying

Major:

an officer in the army: here it is the name of the boar.

prize

:

hat has gained a prize or is worthy of a prize

boar

:

a male pig kept for breeding

communicate

:

make known

barn

:

farm building for storing food for animals

highly regarded

:

very well thought of3.

raven

:

a large black bird

perch

:

a branch or rod where a bird rests

comrade

:

a close companion

:

fellow member of a union

acquired

:

gained

stall

:

an

indoor enclosure for one animal4.

miserable

:

very unhappy

laborious

i

doing hard labour

atom

:

a very small bit

slaughtered

:

killed for food

hideous

:

hocking5.

order

:

arrangement

afford

:

be able to give

dignity

:

rue worth

produce

:

omething that has been produced, especially by growing or farming

abolished

:

brought tg an end

6.

consumes

:

eats or drinks

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